


Compatible

by michellejco



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Brothers, Comforting, Cozy, Fluff, Gen, Snow, Snowball Fight, Thor and Loki - Freeform, Tickling, Winter, fireplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 10:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18050411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michellejco/pseuds/michellejco
Summary: A wintry vacation brings Thor and Loki closer together for some bonding time in the snow.





	Compatible

Some time off, that’s how Thor put it. The woods were scant leaves but full with snow weighing down branches. Their cabin warmed beautifully whenever a fire blazed in the hearth, which they tried to keep burning always. The Nordic countryside. That’s where older brother Thor decided to bring them for their time off, in the middle of January, the coldest possible time for them to come, of course. 

Thor barreled into the cabin one morning, head and shoulders covered with a light dusting of snow, and he was heaving with him freshly chopped firewood. He saw Loki exactly where he’d left his younger brother: by the fireside reading a book. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even look up when Thor barged in.

“Close the door, wound you? You’re letting a draft in,” Loki requested while turning a page.

Thor huffed and rolled his eyes, dropping the load of firewood on the floor before turning and shutting the cabin door, “You should have helped, Loki. It was tremendous fun chopping up all this wood,” he picked it all up again and hefted some of the logs into the fire, stoking it. 

“Fun,” Loki repeated with a mild sneer, “Oh I’m sure.”

Thor stood and stretched out his back and looked out one of the windows. He smiled as he shed his wet coat, “Do you remember snowfall on Asgard? It was rare, but I absolutely loved when it snowed. You loved it, too. Of course now it all makes sense why you loved it, but…” Thor tried to get a rise out of his brother, watching him closely, but nothing triggered him. 

“We should go out in the snow,” Thor encouraged, walking over and gently kicking Loki’s socked foot with his cold, wet boot. Loki glanced up at him with a glare and shifted his foot but kept his eyes down on the pages of his book otherwise.

“If it’s alright with you I much prefer the warmth of the fire. I’d rather not freeze to death.”

“You won’t freeze, and you know it–”

“Even so, that’s besides the point. I’m not about to run off and get soaking wet for no good reason.”

No good reason, Thor repeated the thought in his head and he took to kneeling in front of the fire, extending his hands to warm them. 

“When was it we became so incompatible, brother?” Thor asked, but sadness was evident in his voice.

For the first time, Loki looked up from his book at Thor, seeing his profile. The glow of the fire cast shadow on parts of him but lit up his nose and chin and forehead predominantly. 

“I’m afraid it’s always been that way,” was Loki’s answer, finally putting his book aside.

“Not always,” Thor looked over at Loki with a meek smile.

Loki chewed on his lower lip in thought before standing out of his chair suddenly, “Alright, you sappy bastard,” he grumbled half-heartedly and walked towards the door to lace up his boots. 

Thor was surprised when Loki suddenly rose but his grin couldn’t have been wider or cockier in effect when Loki walked off like that. He chuckled and stood back up as well, “Glad you could come to your senses, brother,” he clapped Loki on the back and threw his jacket back over his shoulders. 

Loki jerked forward when the slap came but he rolled his eyes fondly, wrapping a scarf around his neck and then buttoning up his jacket before he headed out with Thor. The snow did look magical, if he did think so himself. Something about the way it coated the ground so evenly and decorated every tree branch was something unique to Earth, he was sure. He’d never seen such beauty on Asgard before, and especially not on the ice realm itself.

Thor nudged Loki as he walked past him, “Isn’t it wonderful? Look how deep the snow is,” he pointed to his feet, which were completely gone in the depths of the snow. It reached Thor’s calves. Which meant it pretty much hit the bottom of Loki’s knees. 

Loki sniffed, “Wish I had a hat,” was his response as he felt the tip of his nose already going cold. 

Thor chortled and he bent down and picked up some snow, balling it up in his bare hands.

Loki witnessed it all and he started walking away from him quick as he could in the snow, “Don’t you even think of throwing that thing. I swear I’ll go back inside and you’ll–” the ball hit him directly in the chest and Thor laughed. 

Loki spit out some snow that ricocheted into his mouth and his eyes narrowed, “If that’s how you want it, then so be it,” he bent and started the same process as Thor by collecting the snow in his hands, but he wasn’t expecting another snowball to come crashing into the top of his head, “Thor!” 

Thor was cackling merrily again, “Come on, Loki, it’s too easy! Fine, I’ll give you a freebee. Throw one,” he stood still with his arms extended at his sides.

Loki huffed and brushed the snow off his head best he could. When he balled up the snow as tightly as he could (oh yes, he wanted this to hurt), he threw it and it pelted Thor right in the face, covering him as it shattered. It was Loki’s turn to laugh, now. 

And so, the fight was on, and the two continued in such a way for the rest of the morning. Snowballs were flung and hit the desired target 9 out of 10 throws. Thor paused his snowball making to briefly light up his fists with the electricity naturally coursing through him and he warmed up his body, the snow that was covering him immediately melting and turning to steamed water.

“Now how is that fair!?” Loki complained when he watched it happen.

Thor chortled, “There are no rules against it. Come, I can warm you up, too,” he smirked as he approached Loki with his crackling fingers.

“Oh no,” Loki shook his head and threw another snowball but Thor kept up his advances. It was harder for Loki to move through the snow than Thor because he was a big dumb hulking mass and Loki’s smaller legs were covered more by the snow due to his height. 

“Thor, stop,” Loki warned again as he was walking as quick as he could through the snow, “Ah!” he yelped when Thor barely poked his arm and sent a shock through his body.

Thor giggled mischievously, “I’m only trying to be considerate.”

“No, you are being a pest!” Loki spat back. 

Thor got close enough to Loki and actually stopped his heating mechanism, but reached out and shoved both of Loki’s shoulders, automatically sending the trickster backwards into the snow. Thor hoped that would be the result and he laughed once more when Loki was practically buried in the snow after falling so deeply in it.

“Y-You’re a complete asshole, you know that?” Loki shivered slightly as he lay in the little snow angel his body created. 

Thor snorted and he got closer, prodding Loki’s abdomen, “You crumple too easily, you know that?” he emphasized his teasing, mimicking words.

“Stohop that,” Loki got an arm free and batted at Thor’s hand, “Help me up.”

Thor grinned, “I want to see you get out yourself,” he took a step away.

Loki rolled his eyes, “I swear you’re getting it when I’m out of here,” he got his other arm free with some wiggling and was now trying to pull his upper half out of the snow. 

Thor was grinning wide, wanting to pester his poor brother even more. With a flick of a few fingers, he sent sparks traveling through the ground until they hit their desired target: Loki. Said trickster yelped and jerked, “Thor!”

Thor smiled, “Doesn’t that give you incentive to move faster? You’re letting the day drag on!” he teased and sent a few more. He knew he wasn’t hurting Loki, it was mostly just annoying.

“I’m g-going to k-kill you,” Loki stuttered and jerked again when he felt more shocks. He got out of the snow, covered in it now. He then decided to get his own little retribution and used his powers finally. He levitated a huge chunk of snow below him and launched it at Thor, said brother’s eye growing wide with shock unable to escape it. It knocked Thor down with one blow and Loki was cackling as only Thor’s boots poked out of the snow he was trapped in. 

“Ohoho that felt good,” Loki praised himself as he walked over to Thor, giggling again at how stupid he looked. Thor dug his way out eventually and now the two were matched in being more snow than skin. 

“S-Should we go ins-inside now?” Thor asked, now shivering himself. Loki grinned and nodded, heading back inside the cabin with his brother. 

They got back inside and shed their boots first, then their coats, which were sopping wet. Thor and Loki each went off and undressed from their cold and wet clothing into comfortable, dry attire. Loki put a kettle to boil to make some tea for the two of them and was getting out the tea bags when he felt something get draped over his shoulders. Thor had come and placed a blanket on him and Loki looked to see he’d already donned one himself. Thor gave Loki a smile and walked over to the fireplace, sitting down in front of it.

Loki made his way over with two mugs full of tea and sat down beside his brother, handing one of the mugs over. 

“Did you have fun?” Thor asked.

Loki had to smile and he said, “I will answer neither yes or no,” and he hid the rest of his smile in his mug as he took a sip. 

Thor grinned and he took a larger gulp from his hot tea, humming after it warmed his inside. The two sat there in a content silence for a while, both either sipping tea or looking into the fire. 

“You had fun,” Thor said after he’d finished his tea and set the cup aside.

Loki looked over and rolled his eyes with a scoff, “Why does that matter to you?”

“Because I like being right,” Thor answered truthfully. 

“And you apparently like being a cocky ass about it, too,” Loki mumbled into his mug, mostly hoping Thor didn’t understand what he said. But Thor rose a brow and the minute Loki put his cup down on the floor, he attacked, lunging at Loki and taking him down to the ground.

“Want to say that again? I couldn’t quite hear,” and his fingers sought purchase on Loki’s side, squeezing in pincer like motions at the tender muscle.

Loki arched his back and laughed, unable to help himself or hide it. He writhed even more when Thor clawed at his belly, trying to curl up into a ball so he couldn’t get at that sensitive area. 

“Y-You’re being an ahass!” Loki repeated his sentiment from before but it was almost unintelligible through his squeaks and laughs.

Thor grinned, “Ahhh, that’s what I thought you said. I just didn’t want to believe it. My little brother Loki being rude to his big brother? Unheard of!”

“Shuhut up!” 

Thor went after Loki’s ribs and heard him snort before Thor switched tactics and pinned Loki’s upper body more expertly and his free hand started to knead Loki’s thigh. The trickster’s eyes widened and he let out a short scream, kicking his legs out viciously. That was always a weak point for him and he hated how Thor knew it so well. 

“Want to apologize?” Thor didn’t need an apology, he was happy enough hearing Loki laugh like this. He just needed a reason not to tickle him to death. 

Loki was laughing too hard to get words out, and tears started forming at the corners of his eyes. He was lost in laughter, snorting and squeaking whenever Thor touched a new spot on his thighs. And he couldn’t even fight back yet because Thor had both his arms pinned to his chest. 

But mercifully, Thor stopped his assault and backed off. Loki needed time to calm down and let his giggles fizzle out. 

“T-Thahat… That was never fair when we were younger and it certainly isn’t fair now,” Loki panted, sitting up. 

Thor shrugged, “That’s the way of the world, I’m afraid,” he smiled. 

“Right,” Loki nodded and looked into the fire for a few seconds, gathering his remaining breaths before he reciprocated the action on Thor. He jumped on him and began the ticklish onslaught. Thor’s booming laughter nearly caught him off guard, but it took little to no time for Loki to get used to it and look upon it fondly. Loki knew Thor barely struggled because he liked this. He was enjoying having this moment with his little brother again, it was written all over his face and body language. 

“How about those shocks, hm?” he jabbed his fingers into Thor’s sides over and over again.

Thor jerked around, “Hehey! That hurts!” he brought his large arms down to cover his sides up.

Loki snorted, “Oh, now it hurts? When it’s not literal lightning shooting through your skin? That hurts?” and he went back to tickling Thor normally but with more vigor. 

Their afternoon was made up of this interaction, going back and forth a few more times. When they finally tired themselves out enough and their stomachs ached from laughing so hard, the brothers each laid beside each other on the floor and wrapped themselves up in either blanket. The fire continued to warm them physically, though Loki and Thor were already warmed up on the inside. The spark between them had rekindled and it was magical. 


End file.
